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The Plain of Jars and the Secret War
Published by Melissa Rodway, Writer
Country: Lao People's Democratic Republic 
The Experience
If you’re seeking a little Laos mystery and history, make the trek to the Soviet style town of Phonsaven where clusters of ancient stone jars are peacefully scattered across northern plateaus. A visit to UXO villages resulting from a less than peaceful past also awaits.
There are three different sites that you can choose from to visit the Plain of Jars. With only a few tourist offices in Phonsaven, each one, including your hotel, will try to convince you to spend an entire day driving around to visit all three. However, although visiting the Plain of Jars is eerily spectacular, you need to only visit Site One to feel the impact of this Laos mystery.
The Plain of Jars consists of absolutely massive stone jars that have survived a war torn country and are randomly scattered throughout Laos’ grassy plateaus. These mysterious stone urns date back to the Iron Age of 500 BCE to 500 CE. Without a true understanding of their purpose in history, anthropologists continue to study the Plain of Jars, believing the jars to be most crucial in understanding the social societies during South East Asia’s Iron Age. Local beliefs are that the jars were used to store the famously potent Lao-Lao, a traditional rice whiskey. With the size of these jars, that would have been one heck of a party. Some believe the jars were used to store the remains of the deceased, while others are convinced these mystery pots were used to give offerings to the spirits. Whatever your interpretation, there is an eerie peace felt while in the presence of the mysterious Plain of Jars.
The best tour guide in Phonsaven is a very passionate, knowledgeable and humourous guy named Noud who has a tourist office on the main street. He’ll probably meet you at your bus without you even knowing it, but it won’t take you long to realize that Noud is the man to know in Phonsaven. He will take you on a great tour of The Plain of Jars, but better yet, is his tour of The Secret War.
The Secret War went on for nine years, from 1964 to 1973 in which the USA dropped cluster bombs on Communist Lao and the Ho Chi Min Trail, which was in southeast Laos paralleling Vietnam. It is called The Secret War as the US government denied any knowledge that these attacks were happening. Thousands of deaths and dismemberments occurred from The Secret War and continue to happen to this day. Unexploded bombs are still burrowed underground and are set off by farmers ploughing fields and digging holes, and by children picking up and playing with what they call 'bombies'. Noud will take you on a tour of some UXO villages, (unexploded ordinance), where locals have adapted to live with live bombs in their surroundings and learned to detonate them. Further, they have used pieces of planes and missile shells that have literally fallen from the sky as animal troughs, fence posts, shed doors and porch siding. This is a tour well worth taking, and be rest assured, Noud will keep you safe.
Phonsaven is not an aesthetically pleasing town, but they do have a fine Indian restaurant and they have Noud. Two reasons you simply must go.
There are three different sites that you can choose from to visit the Plain of Jars. With only a few tourist offices in Phonsaven, each one, including your hotel, will try to convince you to spend an entire day driving around to visit all three. However, although visiting the Plain of Jars is eerily spectacular, you need to only visit Site One to feel the impact of this Laos mystery.
The Plain of Jars consists of absolutely massive stone jars that have survived a war torn country and are randomly scattered throughout Laos’ grassy plateaus. These mysterious stone urns date back to the Iron Age of 500 BCE to 500 CE. Without a true understanding of their purpose in history, anthropologists continue to study the Plain of Jars, believing the jars to be most crucial in understanding the social societies during South East Asia’s Iron Age. Local beliefs are that the jars were used to store the famously potent Lao-Lao, a traditional rice whiskey. With the size of these jars, that would have been one heck of a party. Some believe the jars were used to store the remains of the deceased, while others are convinced these mystery pots were used to give offerings to the spirits. Whatever your interpretation, there is an eerie peace felt while in the presence of the mysterious Plain of Jars.
The best tour guide in Phonsaven is a very passionate, knowledgeable and humourous guy named Noud who has a tourist office on the main street. He’ll probably meet you at your bus without you even knowing it, but it won’t take you long to realize that Noud is the man to know in Phonsaven. He will take you on a great tour of The Plain of Jars, but better yet, is his tour of The Secret War.
The Secret War went on for nine years, from 1964 to 1973 in which the USA dropped cluster bombs on Communist Lao and the Ho Chi Min Trail, which was in southeast Laos paralleling Vietnam. It is called The Secret War as the US government denied any knowledge that these attacks were happening. Thousands of deaths and dismemberments occurred from The Secret War and continue to happen to this day. Unexploded bombs are still burrowed underground and are set off by farmers ploughing fields and digging holes, and by children picking up and playing with what they call 'bombies'. Noud will take you on a tour of some UXO villages, (unexploded ordinance), where locals have adapted to live with live bombs in their surroundings and learned to detonate them. Further, they have used pieces of planes and missile shells that have literally fallen from the sky as animal troughs, fence posts, shed doors and porch siding. This is a tour well worth taking, and be rest assured, Noud will keep you safe.
Phonsaven is not an aesthetically pleasing town, but they do have a fine Indian restaurant and they have Noud. Two reasons you simply must go.
When to Go to Plain Of Jars
The hot season can reach 40°C and is from March to May. The cooler wet season is from May to October, and the dry season is from November to March.
Odds n' Ends
Buddhist Laos has at least 49 officially recognized ethnic groups, of which more than a few are present in Phonsavan, the provincial capital. As in many Laotian cities, you'll find Tuk Tuks at every corner but be aware that Tuk-Tuks are not allowed to take tourists to the Jar sites. You must visit the site with a certified guide or individually.
The Plain of Jars does not yet have UNESCO World Heritage status, but is to be nominated.
The Plain of Jars does not yet have UNESCO World Heritage status, but is to be nominated.
Want a Guide?
- Bombies
- There is not a lot to do in the evenings in Phonsaven, as the reason people go there is to see the Plain of Jars. The MAG (Mines Advisory Group) plays interesting documentaries about The Secret War, one of which is called 'Bombies' and is a must see.
Places to Stay Nearby
Search over 900,000 global hotel deals from over 30 merchants. Book via Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Priceline and the websites of popular hotel chains.
Discover all that Xieng Khouang has to offer with Vansana Plain of Jars Hotel as a base. The Vansana Plain of Jars Hotel boasts a ... 1 miles away
$434404 LAK+
Xieng Khuoang people welcome all of you to Dungkeomany Hotel Restaurant, located in the centre of the city. And in between the Airport and Market, ... 1 miles away
$227885 LAK+
+ 23 others. Show all.
More Experiences Nearby
- Caving it Kong Lo Style, Laos
- Kong Lo Cave in central Laos is set in the remote wilderness of Phu Hin Bun, creating a naturally dramatic background for this eerily spectacular place. The Nam Hin Bun river flows through the 7.5 km cave where only small boats can travel for tourism in addition to transporting locals and small goods. In some places, the Laos Kong Lo Cave is up to 100 meters high, and the most confusing part of this caving experience is wondering how to get started, and where to pay your fare. When you arrive, there will be several boys and men sitting around ...60 miles away.
Elsewhere on the Web
- Plain of Jars
- Download a free novel based on location.
- Lonely Planet's Plain of Jars
- Travel Happy's Plain of Jars
Media References
- It's a mystery, plain and simple (newspaper)
Travel Insurance. Simple & Flexible.
Language Guides
Lao 
,
Mandarin
,
Vietnamese
are some of the languages spoken in Lao People's Democratic Republic. If you know of a freely available phrase book or podcast for one of the missing languages, let us know!
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